WENNThe BRIT Awards may no longer be the must-see event it was in the 90s, but it's still by far the British music industry's biggest night. Here's a look at the list of this year's nominees and the acts who should perhaps start preparing their acceptance speeches ready for February 19. British Male Solo ArtistDavid Bowie, Jake Bugg, James Blake, John Newman, Tom OdellConsidering the BRITs' reputation for awarding sales over talent, it's surprising but pleasing to see that both Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams have been snubbed here. The panel may want to justify giving New Boring singer-songwriter Tom Odell the Critics Choice award last year, but there would surely be an outcry if David Bowie didn't get the sentimental vote and pick up his first BRIT in nearly 30 years.Who Will Win: David BowieWho Should Win: David BowieBritish Female Solo ArtistBirdy, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Laura Marling, Laura MvulaLaura Marling surprised everyone by pipping Ellie Goulding to this award in 2011 but considering the latter's triumphant twelve months, it's difficult to see her doing the same this year. Just as long as the caterwauling Jessie J doesn’t get her hands on it.Who Will Win: Ellie GouldingWho Should Win: Laura MvulaBritish GroupArctic Monkeys, Bastille, Disclosure, One Direction, RudimentalIt’s encouraging to see the BRITs recognise two of the year's best commercial dance acts in this category, but British Group almost always goes to a guitar band so Arctic Monkeys are almost certain to add to their tally of five.Who Will Win: Arctic MonkeysWho Should Win: DisclosureBritish Breakthrough ActBastille, Disclosure, Laura Mvula, London Grammar, Tom OdellLondon Grammar produced one of the most beautiful albums of last year with If You Wait but as this award is voted for by listeners of Radio 1, it will inevitably go to the act with the biggest fan base. Step forward the unfathomably successful Bastille.Who Will Win: Bastille Who Should Win: London GrammarBritish SingleBastille ("Pompeii"), Calvin Harris ("I Need Your Love"), Disclosure ("White Noise"), Ellie Goulding ("Burn"), John Newman ("Love Me Again"), Naughty Boy ("La La La"), One Direction ("One Way Or Another/Teenage Kicks"), Passenger ("Let Her Go"), Rudimental ("Waiting All Night")Bar Passenger's contrived snoozefest, this isn't a bad list of the best-selling singles of the last year. Again voted for by the public, One Direction will inevitably walk away with the award. But it's a shame that it'll be for their karaoke mash-up of Blondie's "One Way Or Another"/The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" rather than the far superior "Story Of My Life."Who Will Win: One DirectionWho Should Win: Naughty BoyBritish Album of the YearArctic Monkeys (AM), Bastille (Bad Blood), David Bowie (The Next Day), Disclosure (Settle), Rudimental (Home)A welcome departure from the bombastic EDM favoured by the likes of Guetta et al, Disclosure's Settle was the album that 2013 needed. But following the return-to-form of AM, BRITs favorites Arctic Monkeys will probably pick up the second and arguably the most coveted award of the night.Who Will Win: Arctic MonkeysWho Should Win: DisclosureInternational Male Solo ArtistBruno Mars, Drake, Eminem, John Grant, Justin TimberlakePossibly the biggest snub of the awards is the lack of Kanye West, who like his former touring partner Jay-Z, has been entirely ignored in favour of Justin Timberlake's two bloated and self-indulgent comeback albums and Eminem's regressive Marshall Mathers sequel. More encouraging is this year's most leftfield nominee John Grant, but with Bruno Mars set to perform on the night, this category will only go one way.Who Will Win: Bruno MarsWho Should Win: John GrantInternational Female Solo ArtistJanelle Monae, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lorde, PinkSuggesting the BRITs panel aren't too keen on the whole twerking phenomenon, Miley Cyrus is another major omission here. Lorde might be worth an outside bet but currently the most bankable pop star on the planet, Katy Perry will probably reign supreme.Who Will Win: Katy PerryWho Should Win: Janelle MonaeInternational GroupArcade Fire, Daft Punk, Haim, Kings Of Leon, Macklemore &amp; Ryan LewisIf there was an award for Best International Single, Daft Punk would run away with it. But despite the mixed reaction to their last album, the BRITs are more likely to favour Kings of Leon than any of the more adventurous names on the list.Who Will Win: Kings Of LeonWho Should Win: Haim
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Soul sensation Emeli Sande's critically-acclaimed Our Version Of Events has been named one of the U.K.'s bestselling albums of the year (13) to date - 20 months after its original release. The Scottish singer topped the sales poll last year (12) after shifting more than 1.3 million units, and she is continuing to lead the competition for 2013, selling more than 591,000 copies in the first three-quarters of this year, taking its total U.K. tally to 1.93 million.
The soundtrack to movie musical Les Miserables is currently the second bestseller in the U.K. market, with 437,000 units sold since it first hit retailers in January (13).
Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox, Michael Buble's To Be Loved and Daft Punk's Random Access Memories round out the Official Charts Company's 2013 top five.
However, the standings could all change within months - Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, One Direction and Take That stars Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow are all set to release new albums before the end of the year (13).

Jan Persson/Getty ImagesFollowing the 1991 tragic death of Freddie Mercury, undoubtedly one of the greatest showman of all time, it seemed unthinkable that the remaining members of Queen would even consider trying to find someone capable of filling his massive platform boots. And yet from one-off performances with Elton John and George Michael to a string of dates with American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert to a world tour and album with Paul Rodgers, Brian May and Roger Taylor have continued to showcase the band's iconic back catalogue with various different replacements. With fun.'s Nate Ruess the latest frontman to appear alongside the rock legends at last weekend's iHeartRadio Festival, here’s a look at five other potential candidates who embody the spirit of The Great Pretender.
Robbie WilliamsSay what you like about the former Take That star but he sure knows how to work a crowd. Williams has already been in the studio with Queen having recorded a cover of "We Are The Champions" for A Knight’s Tale and reportedly came close to fronting their 2005 reunion tour. But he's yet to make that giant leap and join them on stage.
MikaMika even referenced Mercury directly in his 2007 breakthrough hit, "Grace Kelly." And although his star has diminished considerably since, his natural flamboyance and piercing falsetto still makes him a credible contender.
Justin HawkinsAnother name who was touted in the press before Queen settled on Rodgers, Justin Hawkins channelled the bluster and pomp of the band's '70s era perfectly with The Darkness' debut album, Permission To Land. A virtuoso guitarist, the catsuit-clad rocker could also offer some neat interplay with May.
Russell BrandA leftfield choice which would no doubt enrage Queen's loyal fan base, the former Mr. Katy Perry may be best-known for his witty dictionary-swallowing way with words. But his roles in Get Me To The Greek and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, not to mention his London Olympics Closing Ceremony performance, proved he's got what it takes to be a rock star.
Marc MartelThe least known but possibly most obvious choice to do their classic hits justice, Marc Martel was personally chosen by Taylor to front the officially-sanctioned covers band for the recent Queen Extravaganza Tour following a YouTube-uploaded audition which displayed a highly impressive uncanny vocal resemblance to his idol.
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Michael Buble offered to scrap his duet with Reese Witherspoon on his new album if the nervous movie star didn't like the finished recording. The odd couple teamed up in the studio to rework Frank and Nancy Sinatra's Something Stupid - and Buble admits he had to convince the actress to work with him.
He tells Rolling Stone, "I've always loved the song, and when I started thinking about the concept of how to do it the first thoughts I had were pop stars - Katy Perry, Gaga, anybody. I was just throwing out names to my manager, and he's the one who said, 'What about Reese Witherspoon...?' I told him, 'It's an incredible idea, but good luck getting her.'
"Lo and behold he called (her talent agency) CAA, we got in touch with her husband, and I ended up getting on the phone with her. She was understandably nervous - it's not her world. I told her I was gonna take care of her and if it wasn't right and didn't come out the way she hoped it would, I'd scrap it.
"She came into the studio, she was prepared, and it was nice for me, because she was one of the few people who I've ever talked about the song with who understood the premise of the song so well."
The track was previously covered by Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman.

Minor spoilers to follow.
Tyler Perry's Temptation is the kind of over-the-top drama that leaves you speechless as the credits abruptly begin to roll. Perry doesn't bother trying to cloak his morality tale with details like fully developed characters or insightful dialogue or logic. The heartbreaking story of Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) is introduced by her marriage counselor sister as a warning to all young married woman who have their eyes on someone else. Judith was once a happily married woman who was led into temptation by an intense, rich man who promised to appreciate her in all the ways her husband didn't. Sounds fairly standard, right? Well… no.
Judith works as a therapist for a matchmaking service owned by Janice (Vanessa Williams), a glamorous older woman with a French accent who may or may not be running escorts on the side. Her coworker Ava is played by Kim Kardashian, a true feat of stunt casting that's only made all the more impressive by her inability to inject the slightest bit of emotion into her steady stream of insults. Judith has designs on starting her own practice as a marriage counselor but her husband Brice (Lance Gross) wants to wait until they get more settled. Her frustration comes into full flower soon after a young social media exec comes in to the office to strike up a deal with Janice. Harley (Robbie Jones) begins coming on to Judith almost immediately. At first, she finds it easy to resist. Brice is the only man she's ever been with — a detail that Harley finds amazing — and he's a good man, a sensible guy, and it probably doesn't hurt that he looks like a finely chiseled Greek god. But those perfect oblique muscles will only get him so far: after Brice forgets her birthday for the second year in a row and rejects her advances one night when she wants to get frisky in the kitchen, Harley starts looking a whole lot better.
A large chunk of the movie is spent on a somewhat boring back-and-forth between Harley and Judith, with some extraordinarily strange asides tossed in. For instance, singer and actress Brandy plays Brice's coworker Karen, a haunted young woman who's on the run from an abusive ex. (Did I mention Brice is an incredibly handsome pharmacist?) Their other coworker is an older woman who can be counted on to say something crazy about Valium or lesbians at any given time. You could get whiplash from how quickly the tone goes from comedy to high drama, but at some point the drama transmogrifies into sheer absurdity with a very nasty undertone.
RELATED: Can Tyler Perry Break Out of Tyler Perry?
As you'd guess from the title, religion is a strong theme here, which is par for the course in Perry's films. It's very much a tale of good versus evil, and Perry is an Old Testament-style deity raining hellfire and brimstone down on his characters. It's not enough that they might be unhappy or heartbroken or full of regret, but they must pay dearly and cruelly. At the same time, religion is subject to the movie's tonal whims as well. Judith's mother Sarah (Ella Joyce) is a religious woman who raised her daughter in the church, but by the end of the movie, I wouldn't have been totally surprised to see her try to perform a full-on exorcism.
Besides the rather sadistic treatment of its characters, Temptation has an incredibly troubling scene that kicks off the last third of the movie, when things get really dark and mean. Judith and Harley are returning from a business trip to New Orleans on Harley's private jet. Judith got a makeover before she left (with help from Ava, naturally) and has been partaking of the many adult beverages NOLA has to offer. The flirting gets pretty steamy between them, but when Harley goes to touch and kiss her, she tries to stop him. She tells him no repeatedly and loudly and physically tries to defend herself. "Now you can say you resisted," he tells her, and the scene fades into some sort of embrace. Later, Judith is shell-shocked and tells Harley she never wants to see him again. She goes to take a shower but stops to stare into the foggy mirror. She reflects back on the scene on the plane, but it's… a love scene? Really? I don't even know how to untangle this. There are so many ways to interpret this chain of events, and none of them are acceptable. Any sort of goodwill or patience I'd had for Temptation and its bizarro world disappeared with a poof.
Temptation is worth watching in the same way a movie like Nicholas Sparks' Safe Haven is worth watching: it's such an audaciously ridiculous movie that you have to see it for yourself.
1.5/5
[Photo Credit: KC Bailey/Lionsgate]
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Four newcomers entered the fray in this crowded pre-Fourth of July weekend with “Ted” from Universal, Warner Bros.’ “Magic Mike,” Lionsgate’s “Tyler Perry’s Witness Protection” and “People Like Us” from Disney all making their wide release debuts. This was a very tough weekend to predict but “Ted” and Magic Mike came out on top!
Seth MacFarlane and Universal bring the R-rated comedic fantasy Ted to 3,239 theaters this weekend and a much bigger-than-expected $54.1 million worth of box office bear stuffing was the result. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis the pure insanity of the concept had audiences buzzing all weekend long and the date-crowd lined up in droves this weekend. The red band trailer created a sensation when it hit the internet many weeks ago and the buzz has been building ever since. Giovanni Ribisi makes an impression in a supporting role that has to be seen to be believed and Kunis and Wahlberg are well cast in their roles. However, it is Seth MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed teddy bear that steals the show along with a couple of cameos that will have audiences pleasantly shocked. This was the biggest R-rated comedy non-sequel debut ahead of “The Hangover” ($44.979M) and the third highest R-rated comedy debut behind "Hangover 2" ($85.9M) and "Sex and the City" ($57.038M).
R-rated films were well represented this weekend with Warner Bros.’ “Magic Mike” taking it all off for an appreciative female fan base with much better-than-expected $39.1 million. Much like the “Sex and the City” films, this movie will be the centerpiece for a perfect “girls night out” and as we have seen in the past, this can be a powerful draw at the box office. Channing Tatum, who has been on a box office roll of late will bring out his devotees as well as fans of Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello who take it all off for acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. A terrific marketing campaign as well as solid word-of-mouth could fuel an even stronger than expected debut for this film that is tailor-made for the female demographic. Magic marketing gave the film a terrific better-than-expected debut as women stuffed the box office with singles and giving Soderbergh (beating 2004's "Ocean's Twelve" ($39,153,380) the best debut of his career if estimates hold. Channing Tatum is box office gold (had "The Vow" ($41.2M debut in Feb.) and "21 Jump Street" ($36.3M debut in March).
Disney/Pixar’s 13th movie release, “Brave” in 3-D should had another solid weekend but was hurt a bit by all the increased competition in the marketplace with a 49% drop and $34 million in its second weekend of release. Kelly MacDonald voices the bow and arrow wielding protagonist Merida along with a terrific cast that includes Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane. With $66 million in its opening weekend the film gave the Pixar brand its latest (and 13th) number one debut and a modest second weekend drop of 35 to 40% should give it the competitive edge this weekend. “Brave” hit the bullseye on the $100 million target in North America on Friday after just eight days of release and now has a North American total of $131,685,000 through Sunday after just 10 days in theaters.
The prolific and popular Tyler Perry brings his latest, Madea's Witness Protection from Lionsgate to 2,161 theaters this weekend with an impressive $26.35 million. The PG-13 rated comedy stars Perry playing a total of three characters in the film about a Wall Street banker who is the victim of a ponzi scheme set up that finds himself and his family in the home of their Aunt Madea and the comedy that ensues. A truly bankable brand, Perry and particularly his films that feature “Madea” in the title have always been consistent performers at the box office. This is the first Tyler Perry summer release and drew a major crossover audience (70% African American vs. normal 80% for Perry), and is the fourth best debut for Perry despite facing huge competition this weekend as his fan base supported the film.
Paramount Pictures PG-rated “Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted” from Dreamworks Animation entered its fourth weekend with around $168 million in North America. A weekend gross of $11.8 million enabled it to cross the $180 million mark as it continues to draw family audiences despite increased competition from Brave. The 3D family favorite is also a global hit as it continued to play in 7,011 cinemas in 44 countries in its fourth weekend and brought in $16.2M, pushing its international cume to $244.2 million and the worldwide total to $424.2 million.
Disney’s “People Like us” starring Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks and Michelle Pfeiffer follows Pine as a high energy salesman who is called back to California for his estranged father’s funeral and the family drama that develops. The film opened with $4.3 million in 10th place which was a bit disappointing for this engaging PG-13 drama that also stars Olivia Wilde.
This was a surprising “Up” weekend vs. the comparable frame a year ago when Paramount’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” led an extended holiday weekend that benefitted from a Monday, July 4 holiday and gave the film a record Fourth-of-July haul of $97.8 million for Friday through Sunday and a four-day total of $115.9 million.
Next week three newcomers enter the summer movie sweepstakes with Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Paramount’s “Katy Perry 3-D” movie and Universal’s Oliver Stone drug epic “Savages.”
Weekend Box Office (Estimates)
Top Movies for Weekend of June 29, 2012
Movie Weekend Gross Total to Date
1 Ted (R) $54.1M $54.1M
2 Magic Mike (R) $39.1M $39.1M
3 Brave (PG) $34.0M $131.7M
4 Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (PG13) $26.3M $26.3M
5 Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (PG) $11.8M $180.0M
In international box office news Fox’s “Ice Age: Continental Drift” is off to an incredible start!
This from Fox International:
Shattering box office records on its way to a US $78 million International opening weekend from 9,505 screens in 34 markets the animated box office hit had #1 openings in all 34 markets, with an additional #1 ranking in the UK, from previews alone (UK opens officially on July 13). Industry Biggest Opening Weekend ever in: Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Central America, and Chile
Industry Biggest Animated Opening Weekend ever in: Norway, Sweden, Ecuador and Bolivia
Biggest Fox Opening Weekend ever in: Mexico and Brazil
14 new markets (19 countries) open the film this coming week, including Germany and Holland, followed by an additional 16 markets/29 countries day &amp; date with the US, including UK and Russia. South Korea and India release on July 26 and 27, respectively, followed by Italy on September 28.
Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man is also spinning a huge box office web in the international marketplace.
This info courtesy Sony Pictures:
In its first weekend of release, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN grossed an estimated $50.2 million in 13 overseas markets. Our favorite swinger was amazing indeed in Asia while Europe remains under the influence of the Euro Cup football championships until tonight, with school vacations in full effect starting tomorrow.
KOREA earned $13.4M on 1,213 screens, capturing a 71% market share. The KW15.8B total for Thursday to Sunday is the 3rd biggest of all time for a Hollywood film, behind only the 2nd and 3rd TRANSFORMERS films. This is 24% bigger than SPIDER-MAN 3 and 10% more than The Avengers.
JAPAN opened with $11.4M on 1,092 screens, pulling in an estimated 84% of the country’s Saturday-Sunday weekend box office.
INDIA grossed $6.0M on 1,236 screens, the biggest opening ever for a Hollywood film, 74% bigger than SPIDER-MAN 3, 73% more than AVENGERS, and more than double the lifetime box office of DARK KNIGHT.
The PHILIPPINES bowed with $3.2M on 529 screens, capturing the entire market in its opening weekend. This is the 4thbiggest Friday-Sunday opening ever (behind AVENGERS, TRANSFORMERS 3, and TWILIGHT: BREAKING DAWN.)
TAIWAN did $2.9M on 268 screens while taking in 73% of the market’s weekend total. It is the 2nd biggest Fri-Sun weekend of the year (behind AVENGERS.)
HONG KONG earned $2.7M on 158 screens, pulling in 84% of the total market. This is the 4th biggest Friday-Sunday opening of all time (behind just TRANSFORMERS 3, AVENGERS, and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II.)
SINGAPORE grossed $2.5M on 128 screens, the 3rd biggest Friday-Sunday opening of all time (behind TRANSFORMERS 3 and AVENGERS.)
THAILAND opened to $1.9M on 320 screens, capturing 81% of the market. 10th biggest Friday-Sunday opening of all time.
VIETNAM grossed $425K on 41 screens, the 6th biggest Friday-Sunday opening of all time (and the 5th biggest Hollywood film.) It has surpassed the lifetime box office total of SPIDER-MAN 3.
In Europe, GERMANY grossed an estimated $4.2M on 755 screens (50% market share), HOLLAND earned $850K on 113,AUSTRIA opened to $480K on 85, and SWITZERLAND did $290K on 130.
More:
Channing Tatum on 'Magic Mike': A Movie for the '50 Shades of Grey Era'
'The Avengers' Joins 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' in $600 Million Club
'Amazing Spider-Man': What 'Tracking for $125 Million' Actually Means
Ted/Mike

Four newcomers will enter the fray in this crowded pre-Fourth of July weekend with “Ted” from Universal, Warner Bros.’ “Magic Mike,” Lionsgate’s “Tyler Perry’s Witness Protection” and “People Like Us” from Disney all making their wide release debuts. This is one of the toughest weekends to predict given the number of new films and with predictions all over the map for both “Ted” and “Magic Mike,” but we will give it a shot!
UPDATE: "Ted" earns $2,625,000 in midnights screenings in 1,090 theaters!
"Magic Mike" earns $2,050,000 in midnight screenings in 1,100 theaters!
Disney/Pixar’s 13th movie release, Brave in 3-D should have another great weekend and an potentially chart-topping $40 million plus on the heels of a solid mid-week performance. Kelly MacDonald voices the bow and arrow wielding protagonist Merida along with a terrific cast that includes Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters and Robbie Coltrane. With $66 million in its opening weekend the film gave the Pixar brand its latest (and 13th) number one debut and a modest second weekend drop of 35 to 40% should give it the competitive edge this weekend. “Brave” will hit the bullseye on the $100 million target in North America on Friday after just eight days of release.
Seth MacFarlane and Universal bring the R-rated comedic fantasy Ted, to 3,239 theaters this weekend and a possible $35 million of box office bear stuffing could be the result. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis the pure insanity of the concept will have audiences talking and the date-crowd lining up in droves this weekend. The red band trailer created a sensation when it hit the internet many weeks ago and the buzz has been building ever since. Giovanni Ribisi makes an impression in a supporting role that has to be seen to be believed and Kunis and Wahlberg are well cast in their roles. However, it is Seth MacFarlane’s foul-mouthed teddy bear that steals the show along with a couple of cameos that will have audiences pleasantly shocked.
Scott Stuber, CEO of Bluegrass Films, produced "Ted" and set the film up at MRC and then brought it to Universal.
R-rated films will be well represented this weekend with Warner Bros.’ Magic Mike taking it all off for an appreciative female fan base with a possible gross in the $30 million range. Much like the “Sex and the City” films, this movie will be the centerpiece for a perfect “girls night out” and as we have seen in the past, this can be a powerful draw at the box office. Channing Tatum, who has been on a box office roll of late will bring out his devotees as well as fans of Matthew McConaughey and Joe Manganiello who take it all off for acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. A terrific marketing campaign as well as solid word-of-mouth could fuel an even stronger than expected debut for this film that is tailor-made for the female demographic.
The prolific and popular Tyler Perry brings his latest, Madea's Witness Protection from Lionsgate to 2,161 theaters this weekend. The PG-13 rated comedy stars Perry playing a total of three characters in the film about a Wall Street banker who is the victim of a ponzi scheme set up that finds himself and his family in the home of their Aunt Madea and the comedy that ensues. A truly bankable brand, Perry and particularly his films that feature “Madea” in the title have always been consistent performers at the box office. An expected gross in the low-$20 million range should be the result.
Paramount Pictures PG-rated Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (read the review) from Dreamworks Animation will enter its fourth weekend with around $168 million in North America to date. A weekend gross in the low-teens will have it closing in on the $180 million mark as it continues to draw family audiences despite increased competition from “Brave.” The 3-D family favorite is also a global hit as it nears the $400 million mark in 45 territories.
Disney’s People Like Us starring Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks and Michelle Pfeiffer follows Pine as a high energy salesman who is called back to California for his estranged father’s funeral and the family drama that develops. A sub $10 million gross is expected for this engaging PG-13 drama that opens in 2,055 theaters and also stars Olivia Wilde.
This will likely be the third “down” weekend vs. the comparable frame a year ago when Paramount’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” led an extended holiday weekend that benefited from a Monday, July 4 holiday and gave the film a record Fourth-of-July haul of $97.8 million for Friday through Sunday and a four-day total of $115.9 million.
More: 'Amazing Spider-Man': What 'Tracking for $125 Million' Actually Means 'The Avengers' Joins 'Titanic' and 'Avatar' in $600 Million Club Brave' Wins Weekend But Falls $44 Million Short of 'Toy Story 3'

Widening the thematic scope without sacrificing too much of the claustrophobia that made the original 1979 Alien universally spooky Prometheus takes the trophy for this summer's most adult-oriented blockbuster entertainment. The movie will leave your mouth agape for its entire runtime first with its majestic exploration of an alien planet and conjectures on the origins of the human race second with its gross-out body horror that leaves no spilled gut to the imagination. Thin characters feel more like pawns in Scott's sci-fi prequel but stunning visuals shocking turns and grand questions more than make up for the shallow ensemble. "Epic" comes in many forms. Prometheus sports all of them.
Based on their discovery of a series of cave drawings all sharing a similar painted design Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) are recruited by Weyland to head a mission to another planet one they believe holds the answers to the creation of life on Earth. Along for the journey are Vickers (Charlize Theron) the ruthless Weyland proxy Janek (Idris Elba) a blue collar captain a slew of faceless scientists and David (Michael Fassbender) HAL 9000-esque resident android who awakens the crew of spaceship Prometheus when they arrive to their destination. Immediately upon descent there's a discovery: a giant mound that's anything but natural. The crew immediately prepares to scope out the scene zipping up high-tech spacesuits jumping in futuristic humvees and heading out to the site. What they discover are the awe-inspiring creations of another race. What they bring back to the ship is what they realize may kill their own.
The first half of Prometheus could be easily mistaken for Steven Spielberg's Alien a sense of wonder glowing from every frame not too unlike Close Encounters. Scott takes full advantage of his fictional settings and imbues them with a reality that makes them even more tantalizing. He shoots the vistas of space and the alien planet like National Geographic porn and savors the interior moments on board the Prometheus full of hologram maps sleeping pods and do-it-yourself surgery modules with the same attention. Prometheus is beautiful shot in immersive 3D that never dampers Dariusz Wolski's sharp photography. Scott's direction seems less interested in the run-or-die scenario set up in the latter half of the film but the film maintains tension and mood from beginning to end. It all just gets a bit…bloodier.
Jon Spaihts' and Damon Lindelof's script doesn't do the performers any favors shuffling them to and fro between the ship and the alien construction without much room for development. Reveals are shoehorned in without much setup (one involving Theron's Vickers that's shockingly mishandled) but for the most part the ensemble is ready to chomp into the script's bigger picture conceits. Rapace is a physical performer capable of pulling off a grisly scene involving an alien some sharp objects and a painful procedure (sure to be the scene of the blockbuster season. Among the rest of the crew Fassbender's David stands out as the film's revelatory performance delivering a digestible ambiguity to his mechanical man that playfully toys with expectations from his first entrance. The creature effects in Prometheus will wow you but even Fassbender's smallest gesture can send the mind spinning. The power of his smile packs more of a punch than any facehugger.
Much like Lindelof's Lost Prometheus aims to explore the idea of asking questions and seeking answers and on Scott's scale it's a tremendous unexpected ride. A few ideas introduced to spur action fall to the way side in the logic department but with a clear mission and end point Prometheus works as a sweeping sci-fi that doesn't require choppy editing or endless explosions to keep us on the edge of our seats. Prometheus isn't too far off from the Alien xenomorphs: born from existing DNA of another creature the movie breaks out as its own beast. And it's wilder than ever.
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